Ground-clamp.



H. E. ADAMS.

GROUND CLAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28,1909.

972,49 Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR. 81v m @HmW/a.

' ficient clamp of this class,

I contact with the UNITED strArns PATENT OFFICE- 4 HARRY ADAMS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONROE ELECTRICAL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

GROUND-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed June 28, 1909. Serial No. 504,768.

1; To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HARRY E. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo in the county of Lucas and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful; Ground-Clamp; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, and to the figures of ref rence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electrical appliances, and has particular reference to clamps of the class adapted for connecting groundwires to pipes, rods or other similar conducting means projecting into the ground.

The object of my invention is the provision of a simple, improved and highly efwhich is strong and durable in its construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and adapted to have perfect ground-rod or pipe entirely around the practicability and commercial value.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fi re 1 is a side view of the clamp secure to a round-pipe. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on t e line w w in Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a perspective view of the same remove from the ground-pipe, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of the clamp.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the saddle or bridge member of the clamp, which is substantially U-shape in cross-section and has its legs each provided with an opening 2. A screw 3 is threaded through the loop or body portion of the saddle 1 and carries a wire socket 4, to which a groundwire 5 is secured in any suitable manner, and also carries a nut 6, which serves both to cooperate with the screw to rigidly clamp the socket 4 to the saddle and as a ock-nut for securing the screw in set position, as shown.

The strap or band 7, which is of flexible electrical conductive material and cooperates with the saddle 1 and screw 3 to clam 8, has one end attached to the same, thus enhancing its.

bar or part 9 of the saddle forming the outer wall of one of the openin 2 thereof. A simple and preferred meth of attaching the stra to the saddle consists in passing an end 0 the strap inwardly through one of the openings 2 and then wrapping it completely around the bar 9 of the saddle, as shown. In order to provide a more secure anchoring of the strap to the bar 9, such bar is provided on its inner edge with a lug 10, which projects through .a registering opening 11 in the strap end, and prevents an unwinding of the strap end from the bar due to longitudinal pull thereon.

Provided preferably in'a broadened part of the strap 7 near the end thereof which is attached to the saddle l is a slot 12 through which the free end of the strap is passed after making a single convolution around the article to which the saddle is to be clamped. The end of the strap after passing through such slot embraces the portion of the first formed convolution which is opposed to the saddle l and is then projected through the two' openings 2, 2 of the saddle from the side thereof opposed to the bar 9 and under the inner end of the screw 3. The strap having been drawn by hand as tightly as possible around the. ound-pipe or rod 8, the screw 3 is turned lnwardly to force the contacting portion of against the re istering portion of the inner convolution o the strap which has a firm bearing on the ground-member 8, thus securely clamping such end of the strap against longitudinal movement relative to the saddle. On a continued turnin of the screw the saddle is forced outwardTy from the ground-member and a consequent tight ening of the strap around such member effected thus drawing the same in close contact with the entire circumference of the member. It is apparent that the strap 7 when engaged to a ground-member 8, describes two complete convolutions around the same, and is in perfect contact with the entire surface of the member encompassed thereby, while the other or outer convolution attaches to the saddle; it is also apparent that this form the strap of clamp is capable of 'easy and quick application to or removal from a ground pipe or the like.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as 1 such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a ground-clamp, the combination with an article to be clamped, of a saddle having openings in the legs thereof, a strap attached at one end to one leg of such saddle thence passing entirely around the article and having an opening through which the free end of the strap extends, thence passes partially around the article-embracing convolution of the strap and projects through the openings in said saddle, and a screw carried by the saddle with its end in contact with the portion of the strap disposed between said openings and operative to cooperate with the saddle and said article to effect a tightening of the strap around the article.

2. In a ground-clamp, the combination with the article to be clamped, of a saddle having bars at opposite sides thereof, one of such bars having a lug projectin therefrom, a strap coiled around the artic e and having one end wrapped around the bar provided with said lug and having an opening receiving said lug and its other end being extended across both of said bars, means acting on said strap and cooperating with the saddle and said article to effect the tightening of the strap around the article, and a wire attaching member secured to said sad- 3. A ground clamp, comprising a saddle having an opening in each end portion thereof, a band attached at one end to one end of the saddle and having its other end projected through both end openings of the saddle, and a screw threaded throu h the saddle intermediate said openings an bearing at its inner end against the free end 01'- tion of the band, substantially as descri ed.

4-.. A ground clamp, comprising a saddle having an opening in each end portion thereof, a band attached at one end to an end of the saddle, thence twice encircling an article to be clamped with its free end rojected through both openings of the sa dle, and a screw threaded through the saddle intermediate said openings with its inner end bearing against the free end portion of the band and holding it in contact with the other loop of the band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY E. ADAMS.

CORNELL SGHREIBLE. 

